


Salem Center Academy 03 - First Day Of School

by Metal_Ox137



Series: Salem Center Academy [3]
Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 15:34:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4227261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Ox137/pseuds/Metal_Ox137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Illyana begins training her students - with decidedly mixed results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Salem Center Academy 03 - First Day Of School

Scene: Salem Center Academy for Gifted Youngsters - Time: NOW

Illyana Rasputin is having a nightmare. In her mind's eye, she is back in Dallas, on that terrible night when four of her friends and teammates died. Explosions are going off everywhere, and Emma is waving frantically at her.

Emma: Get the students out of here, NOW! Get the - 

She is lost in a flash of white light - 

Illyana: YYYYYAAAAAHHHH!

Illyana sits bolt upright in her bed, a look of sheer terror on her face. After a moment she remembers to breathe. Her heart is pounding so hard in her chest that her whole body convulses. Badly shaken by the nightmare, she buries her head in her hands. She draws in deep, ragged breaths, suspiciously close to sobs.

Collecting herself, she looks around her. She is in her brand new bedroom at the Salem Center Academy. Having just moved in four days before, the room is furnished with a bed, a nightstand with an alarm clock and small table lamp, and nothing else. 

She stares at the clock face. The time is 2:30 AM.

Sighing heavily, she pulls back the covers from her bed, and reluctantly puts her feet on the floor. She shrugs herself into a bathrobe and slippers, and cautiously steps out into the hallway. 

The house seems quiet. As carefully as she can, she descends the old staircase to the ground floor, the aged wood creaking under her feet. 

A few minutes later, she is sitting in the living room, staring insensibly at a mug of tea. Her thoughts drift back to a happier memory of her friends. 

The alarm claxon has sounded at the Alkalai Lake base, and Illyana, along with Emma, Scott and Erik, are sprinting for the hangar. Emma is clad in a white blouse and dark slacks. 

Illyana: Don't tell me you're going out dressed like that!

Emma: This is what I was wearing when the alarm went off.

Illyana: No, no, no. We can't have this. We're going into battle. I need you to be my beautiful White Queen, not some frumpy schoolmarm.

Emma: Illyana, we don't have time - 

Illyana: I can fix it right now, if you like. 

Emma [sighing]: Fine. Go ahead. Please yourself.

Illyana gestures and Emma is wearing her leather jacket, pants and boots.

Illyana: There. That's better.

Puzzled, Emma opens her jacket.

Emma: Did you even leave me a shirt - ? [yelling] Illyana!

Erik: Are you - missing part of your outfit?

Emma [fuming]: This is absolutely the very last time I let Illyana Rasputin dress me!

Illyana: Hee, hee!

Sitting on the sofa, the corner of Illyana's mouth turns up into the slightest of smiles.

Illyana: Heh.

Phoebe Frost comes into the living room, wiping the sleep from her eyes, yawning.

Illyana: Phoebe, did I wake you? I'm so sorry - 

Phoebe sits down on the couch beside Illyana and snuggles against her.

Phoebe: 'Sokay. I like to listen when you think about my mom. Please don't be mad. 

Phoebe sniffs discreetly, trying to hold back tears. 

Blinking back tears of her own, Illyana gathers Phoebe into her arms and hugs her tightly.

Illyana: Oh, Phoebe. Sweetie. I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry.

Many hours later, the sun is rising over the hotel that Illyana and her students have re-purposed as the Salem Center Academy. Illyana and Phoebe have long since returned to their respective bedrooms and fallen into - more or less - a peaceful slumber. Eva Bell comes tiptoeing up the stairs, a large cooking pot in one hand and a steel ladle in the other, a wicked grin on her face.

She consults her watch and as soon as the hands reach 7:30, she picks up the pot and starts banging it vigorously with the ladle. 

Eva: Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! All right, you sleepyheads! Rise and shine! COOO-EEEE!

She walks down the long hallway, banging the pot, and pushes open the door to Irma and Phoebe's room. 

Eva: Up and at 'em, cuckoos! First day of school!

The Frost sisters push themselves upright, blinking through sleep-swollen eyes, staring at her insensibly.

Eva continues down the hall, ringing the huge pot like a cowbell. 

Eva: Come on, smelly boys! Time to get ready for classes!

She reaches David's room, but his door is already open. He is dressed in t-shirt and sweat pants and is pulling on his crosstrainers. He looks up at her and grins.

David [smiling]: No worries, mate. Already up. I'm not missing your first yoga class for anything.

Eva: Yay!

Illyana stumbles out of her bedroom, pulling her bathrobe closed around her. 

Illyana: Eva Bell, what on earth do you think you're doing?

Christopher pokes his head out of his bedroom door. Fabio does likewise.

Fabio: What's going on?

Christopher: Is there a fire?

Eva: Good morning, professor. Remember, we agreed last night, we'd start the yoga class at eight.

Christopher: Oh crap, we did agree to that, didn't we?

Fabio: That was stupid.

Illyana: I must have missed the part where we agreed to let you turn us all out of bed with a one woman fire alarm.

Eva: Don't worry, professor. I promise, I won't have to do this more than one more time, and everyone will be out of bed on time forever after, just to avoid the racket.

Illyana: That's for sure. 

Eva: Come on, you lot! We have precisely . . . [she consults her watch] ten minutes to get dressed and downstairs, then fifteen minutes to run to the hilltop, so we can start class!

Fabio [groaning]: We're going to have to run up that stupid mountain every day?

Illyana [smiling]: I do remember that part. 

Eva: It's not a mountain, it's a hill. 

The cuckoos have shaken off their stupor and come out into the hallway. 

Irma: Is the sun even up yet?

Illyana [to David]: Remind me again why I agreed to this. 

David [grinning]: If you'll recall, Miss Eva has very generously offered to take all the students up to the hilltop every morning and teach the yoga class, so that you'd have some time in the mornings to draw up lesson plans. 

Illyana: Lesson plans. Right. This is a school. I forgot that part. Or I tried to. 

Christopher: Do we have to do this?

Illyana: Since we all agreed to it, yes, we do. All right, everyone, shoes on, shirts up, I'll meet you all in the main hall in ten minutes. 

Eva: Are you coming too, professor?

Illyana: Yes, I'm coming too. [smiling] And if you're really good at teaching the class . . . I'll let you keep it.

Eva [beaming as if she'd just been given a present]: Really? Cool!

Ten minutes later, the students have gathered in the main hall in their gym clothes. Illyana is the last to come down the stairs, wearing a sports bra, sweat pants, crosstrainers and a light windbreaker. 

Eva looks hesitantly at Illyana, and Illyana smiles. 

Illyana: This is your class, Eva. Lead on.

Eva grins. 

Eva: All right, everyone, out front!

Eva leads her classmates out to the lawn on the north side, leading them through two minutes of stretching exercises, then cajoling them to start up the winding path leading to the hilltop.

The students look at each other reluctantly, but since Illyana is with them, no one dares grumble. Eva leads the way, and Illyana brings up the rear, as the students sprint up the steep path to the top of the hill. 

The late spring morning is glorious, with cool air and warm sunshine, leaving it impossible for anyone to be in a bad mood. Even the cuckoos, disinclined to any sort of physical activity, seem to be enjoying the experience. 

For the next hour, Eva leads her classmates through a series of yoga exercises, and everyone dutifully follows along. As it turns out, Eva is a surprisingly good trainer, by turns cajoling, exhorting, and gently but insistently pushing her classmates to make it through the entire regimen. At the end of the session, Illyana takes her aside.

Illyana: That was nice work. I think you just landed yourself a new job, Professor Bell. 

Eva beams with pleasure. 

Illyana: Okay, students, listen up! None of you have had any proper combat training since you joined this school, so that's what we're going to start with today. 

Irma: Combat training?

Phoebe: We have to learn how to fight?

Illyana: Mister Medina, you're first up. 

Fabio: We don't get breakfast?

Christopher: Oh man! It's been nice knowing you. Welcome to Professor Rasputin's House of Pain. 

Illyana: Just for that, Mister Muse, you get to be next. [to David] David, would you please take the girls back to the school, and make sure they get something to eat?

Christopher [groaning in dismay]: What, they get to have breakfast, and we don't?

Illyana: Christopher, do you want to be able to walk back to the school under your own power? 

David: You gotta learn to button it, buddy, you're just making it worse for yourself. [to Illyana] Don't worry, boss. Whenever you're ready to throw down on me, just let me know. You could use a good laugh.

Illyana: The girls will get their turn, don't worry. This isn't a game, people. When the bad guys come for us, they won't care if you're a boy or a girl, they won't care if you've been up all night without any sleep, and they won't care if you've had any breakfast. They're going to try and kill you. Every one of you has asked me to be your teacher. I've accepted that responsibility. And the first thing I'm going to teach you is how to defend yourselves. [in a quieter tone] We have to look out for each other. I want every one of you here to be able to protect everyone else. And I promise - of all the things I have to teach you, there is nothing more important than this. [to David] Okay, David, take the girls away. 

David: Come on, ladies.

The girls and David head back down the hill. As soon as their heads disappear from view over the ridge, Illyana gestures and her gym clothes are gone, replaced by her Magik outfit. She draws her sword.

Fabio: Oh, crap. She's so gonna kill me.

Christopher: Dude, she's gonna kill us both.

Illyana: All right, Fabio, the goal for this morning is simple. All you have to do is knock me down using your powers. 

Fabio: That's it? 

Illyana: That's it. Christopher, you're going to want to stand well clear. 

Christopher needs no urging and takes several generous steps backwards.

Illyana: Ready, Fabio?

Fabio: Uh... no?

Illyana raises her sword in an attack posture.

Illyana: Defend yourself. 

Illyana charges, and Fabio yelps with fright. He generates a gold ball from his hands, about the size of a basketball, and hurls it at Illyana, who bats it away effortlessly with the flat of her sword. The second gold ball is dispatched by Illyana's sword simply slicing through it. In desperation, Fabio hurls a third gold ball, and Illyana leaps into the air, catches it with one hand, and like a volleyball player, viciously spikes the ball and it caroms off of Fabio's face. He falls to the ground, writhing in pain. Christopher grimaces sympathetically.

Christopher: Owwwwwwtch . . . 

Dazed, Fabio struggles to sit up. Illyana stands over him, looking down disapprovingly. 

Fabio: So, not so good then, huh?

Illyana: Fabio, if we were out in the field, you'd be dead now. This is the only timeout you're getting. Next time I cut you. Get up. 

Ruefully, Fabio struggles to his feet.

Illyana steps back to her original position and raises her sword in the same attack stance.

Illyana: Again.

Fabio tries to create a continuous stream of gold balls, hurling them at Illyana with considerable velocity, but she advances relentlessly, swatting them away, finally stepping in and nicking Fabio slightly with the tip of her sword. Christopher looks on horrified.

Fabio: YYYAAHHH!

Illyana: Defend yourself!

Fabio: You CUT me! I'm bleeding!

Illyana [shouting]: If you don't want to bleed, then don't let me cut you! Defend yourself!

Fabio starts generating gold balls of all sizes in desperation, targeting Illyana, and the force and sheer number of projectiles slowly forces her away from him. 

After a moment, he stops, panting with exhaustion. As soon as the barrage ends, Illyana charges again. Fabio screams and begins the same assault, and while Illyana is staggered, she holds on until Fabio's strength wanes enough for the number and velocity of balls to drop, then she wades in and nicks him again. 

Fabio: Stop cutting me!

Illyana: Fabio, that strategy isn't working for you. You're using up all your energy and it's not protecting you. You need to think of something else. 

Illyana returns to her original position and assumes her attack stance.

Illyana: Again.

Fabio unleashes another barrage of gold balls, and Illyana advances through them like tissue paper. But midway through the attack, Fabio keeps the larger balls flying with his right hand, while in his left, he creates a much a smaller ball, and throws it at Illyana's feet. Illyana sees it, but not before she has already planted her foot. She slips on the ball, and falls backward onto the grass. Christopher lets out a war whoop.

Christopher: YES! Way to go, Goldballs!

Illyana gets to her feet, a wide grin on her face. 

Illyana: Better. Much better. 

Fabio: Does that mean I pass?

Illyana suddenly reaches down and picks up the smaller gold ball and throws it at Fabio. Fabio instinctively creates another, larger gold ball, and uses it as a shield. The smaller ball bounces harmlessly away. Illyana nods approvingly. 

Illyana: Now, you pass.

She sheathes her sword. 

Illyana: Okay, so what have you learned today? 

Fabio [frowning]: What, you mean, just now?

Illyana: What have you learned about your power?

Fabio shakes his head; he doesn't understand.

Illyana: Okay. You know you can control where the projectiles come from - you're able to use either hand, and switch them off one for the other, for starters. 

Fabio [beginning to see what Illyana is driving at]: Ah, I get it. And I can change the size and density. 

Illyana [smiling]: Good.

Fabio: And the speed. I can change that. And I can use them defensively.

Illyana: Excellent. 

She places her hands on his shoulders almost tenderly. 

Illyana: Okay. This is what I want you to work on for next time. Try to see how much control you can master. And in our next session, I expect you to show me a new trick or two. All right?

Fabio nods.

Fabio: Okay, professor. 

She walks with him to the edge of the path, one arm draped protectively over his shoulder.

Illyana: This is why we practice. So when the real test comes, you won't have to worry about whether or not you'll pass. Go get some breakfast. Christopher and I will be along in a little while, and he can tend to those little love taps for you. 

Illyana gives him a gentle squeeze that is almost but not quite a hug. Fabio leaves.

Illyana: As for you, Mister Muse . . . [she draws her sword] I have just one piece of advice for you. You can be as sassy as you want to be. But don't be mean. Especially not to the girls. 

She grins wickedly.

Illyana: Or you answer to me. 

Later in the day, the girls are cowering in the classroom, as the boys lick their wounds. 

Eva: Why hasn't she called us yet?

Irma: She's trying to rattle us. 

Eva: Well, it's working. I'm rattled. 

Irma: Why would you be scared? You trained with her before and froze her, right?

Eva: Yeah, but that just made her even madder.

Phoebe: Why does she have to be so mean?

Irma: She's not trying to scare you to be mean, you dummy.

David and Illyana are looking at Illyana's new office, next to the staircase.

David: I'm guessing this was probably the bookkeeper's office, back when this place was still a hotel. 

There is a paper pinned to the door. It's a colored pencil drawing of a large purple ogre with curved horns and claws bearing the legend, "Illyana Rasputin - Headmistress". Illyana grins.

Illyana: I like the ogre demon. It's a nice touch. 

David: Yeah, no guesses as to which of the students drew that. 

They look inside the office. It has a three drawer desk, and a chair, and not much else.

Illyana: You realize I'm never going to set foot in here, right?

David: I dunno, boss. You might. I haven't told the other students this, but this is the only other room apart from the lobby that was set up with a phone jack. And there's a spare phone in the bottom drawer of the desk. I don't know what constitutes a private conversation any more, with the cuckoos around - but hey, you never know. Maybe the school takes off, becomes a going business concern . . . and you need a real office . . . 

Illyana [grimacing]: Ooh, David, don't even say that. I'm just trying to get through the day. 

David: Speaking of which, are you going to take any of the girls up to the hilltop this afternoon? They've been quaking with fear ever since Fabio and Chris came down. 

Illyana [smiling somberly]: Yeah. It's probably time. Day's not getting any younger. I'm so sorry, David. Honestly, I'd rather train you first.

David [grinning]: Except for the fact you need me to meet the guys who are filling our oil tank this afternoon.

Illyana: We will find time for you, David, somewhere, I promise.

David: I'm not worried about it, boss.

Illyana gives him a grateful smile, then strolls down the hall to the classroom. Irma stands up. 

Irma: If it's time for class, professor, may I be next, please?

Illyana: Are you volunteering, Irma?

Irma: Yes, ma'am.

Illyana: Come on, then.

Fifteen minutes later, Illyana and Irma have reached the top of the hill.

Irma: Professor, before we start, can I say something?

Illyana: Sure.

Irma: I don't have to be a mind reader to know you were trying to spook us today. I get it. You want us to be able to keep it together, even if we get really scared. [she pauses] But my mom and my sister are dead, professor. I watched them die. All I have left is Phoebe, and you guys. 

She straightens herself with resolve. 

Irma: I'm not the fastest, or the strongest. I know I'm going to get hurt. But I want to protect my sister. I want to protect Eva, and Fabio, and David - I even want to protect Christopher, even though he can be a real jerk sometimes. And if it ever comes to that, I want to be able to protect you, too. Because you are all the people I love.

She spreads her feet and positions herself in a defensive stance, raising her arms. 

Irma: Show me how.


End file.
